Review: The Libertarianism of Firefly

What if our interplanetary future involved train heists, legal sex work, and a lot of running from the feds?

The short-lived 2002 space western Firefly endeared itself to a certain type of libertarian in the first episode, when a smuggler-captain with a galley full of too-inquisitive passengers harrumphs: "That's what governments are for—get in a man's way."

Libertarian fans took solace not only in the show's leave-me-alone anti-government attitudes, but also in the way it found its audience through then-novel distribution methods despite a botched rollout and midseason cancellation by Fox network execs who misunderstood its appeal and doubted its reach.

Two decades later, director and writer Joss Whedon's premise for the show—what if our interplanetary future involved train heists, legal sex work, a grey market in strawberries, Mandarin swear words, and a lot of running from the feds?—is as delightful as ever. But even through a veil of nostalgia, a rewatch reveals how much better television has gotten in the intervening years.

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[Fist of Etiquette]

But even through a veil of nostalgia, a rewatch reveals how much better television has gotten in the intervening years.

WHAT.

[A Thinking Mind]

Forget Election Denial, this truly is the Big Lie. I don't think I've seen anything in a LONG time that comes close to brushing their fingertips against the glorious underside of Firefly-level writing.

[TheReEncogitationer]

Yup. Only series where you can turn on the Closed-Captioning and learn cuss-words in Mandarin Chi-knee done with a Western drawl!

By the way:. Zõe, Inara, and River? Would. Would. Would, then die happy from exhaustion. 🙂

[Zeb]

I wouldn't kick Kaylee out of bed for eating crackers either.

[TheReEncogitationer]

Oh, that's right! I forgot her! She could defibrillate my engine back to life after River killed me! 🙂

[A Cynical Asshole]

By the way:. Zõe, Inara, and River? Would. Would. Would, then die happy from exhaustion.

Seconded. Also, Kaylee. Say what you will about Joss Whedon now, he clearly understood his audience.

[TheReEncogitationer]

Whedon sure knew how to pick 'em! 🙂

[A Cynical Asshole]

That was my thought as well. Maybe there's more options now than there were 20 years ago, but that doesn't mean the quality is any better.

[Overt]

Yup. And Serenity is one of the best, most libertarian movies to come out in 20 years.

“Sure as I know anything I know this, they will try again. Maybe on another world, maybe on this very ground swept clean. A year from now, ten, they’ll swing back to the belief that they can make people…better. And I do not hold to that. So no more running. I aim to misbehave.”

“Sorry about the throat. Expect you’d want to say your famous last words right now. Just one trouble. I ain’t gonna kill you. Hell, I’m gonna grant your greatest wish. I’m gonna show you a world without sin.”

[TheReEncogitationer]

It seems like I discover new quotes all the time from both the series and the movie. I'll have to watch more and closer.

[JasonAZ]

FoE, would you expect anything less from Reason Editors. Really.

[Yes Way, Ted]

Three lousy paragraphs on the best scifi series (libertarian or not) ever and pages on the Star Wars prequel garbage? Are all Reason “writers” boozing?

[Brandybuck]

Television writing has improved overall, but so far nothing has managed to top Firefly yet. I'm a die hard Trekkie, but sorry, none of the half dozen ST series since then has even come close. Certainly none of the SW series. Although upcoming B5 reboot may possible manage it.

[A Cynical Asshole]

Although upcoming B5 reboot may possible manage it.

At this point I have zero faith that they won't fuck it up.

[NOYB2]

I see nothing "libertarian" about that show. It had an authoritarian central government that happened to have trouble governing due to circumstances beyond its control.

And the idea that Joss Wedon, a guy who endorsed Obama and wanted Elizabeth Warren to be president, would be capable of writing a libertarian show is ludicrous. The man is a typical ultra-privileged leftist creep and authoritarian.

[A Cynical Asshole]

the idea that Joss Wedon, a guy who endorsed Obama and wanted Elizabeth Warren to be president, would be capable of writing a libertarian show is ludicrous

I know some people have theorized that some of the "pseudo libertarian-ish" elements of the show, which there were some (any show about smugglers sneaking about making a living on providing goods and services that the government has arbitrarily deemed illegal is bound to have at least a few), were more the result of the co-creator/ producer/ writer Tim Minear. If you check out his IMDB page he's worked on a lot of shit over years, some more "libertarian-ish" than others. So I'm not sure how much water that theory holds.

He also worked with Whedon on a couple of other shows like Angel and Dollhouse, and that was the last thing the two worked together on back in 2010. With the exception of the first Avengers movie I think it's safe to say it's been all downhill since then for Whedon. Make of that what you will.

[Zeb]

It's pretty libertarian in theme. The authoritarian central government is the villain of the story. All of the best characters have a disdain for authority and try to avoid it.
Perhaps "antiauthoritarian" would be a better term to use. But I don't think it's that much of a stretch.
I try to ignore the politics and intent of the artist when assessing art. Good art tends to mean things to the audience that the creator never intended.

[JasonAZ]

Yeah, Whedon is an uber-prog. He was pushing the "don't let Romney steal the election" non-sense back when it was fashionable for progressives to deny elections and/or question the process. He even made a video about it. As usual, he was pretentious and arrogant to the levels you'd expect for an elitist progressive.

Lizzy Warren for President. LMAO! Of course, the entire MSM was swooning over her early in the 2020 Dem primary process. Pretty telling about the intellectual shallowness of the media to back a one trick pony like Warren. No matter the issue, she has one hammer. Big Government solution.

[CE]

Yeah, the central government had no second amendment, and a strict ban on blasters (er, laser pistols). Which is why Mal and Co. carried revolvers. (Besides being safer for shootouts on a ship in space.)

[TheReEncogitationer]

Yes, the government is Authoritarian, even Totalitarian. But the main characters fight back, so that's the Libertarianism kicks in.

As for Joss Whedon, I just chalk it up to some people do good thing despite themselves.

[Kungpowderfinger]

I’d say Serenity has excellent commentary for:

a world that want to “vaccinate” everyone with an experimental drug,

and a totalitarian government that’ll send agents to “stop the signal”

[TheReEncogitationer]

Well, it wasn't The Alliance stopping a communicable disease so much as it was trying to alter human nature and take the "fight"--whether good or bad--out of human beings. That's what made them Totalitarian, as well as The Operative who was so deep into The Alliance 'doxy that he would murder innocents as part of his mission.

[Agammamon]

It won't.

Firefly only works because the setting basically ignores just about every law of physics.

[CE]

Not as badly as Star Trek. In Firefly all the planets and moons seem to be in the same star system, to make the travel more plausible.

Star Trek has routine faster than light travel, then ignores all the implications of it (people age at the same rate, events happen at the same time, and you can reach anyone anywhere on the radio somehow.)

[TheReEncogitationer]

Also, interesting note: The cast of Firefly and Serenity was all humans, no Extraterrestrials. This puts things more into the realm of believability.

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